An Internet of Things (IoT) refers generally to a global infrastructure that interconnects things to the internet. A thing in the IoT may refer to a uniquely identifiable physical or virtual thing that is accessible via network connectivity. Such things may be integrated into an information network through intelligent interfaces. An IoT system may refer to any system within the internet of things. IoT systems may include one or more end devices, such as sensors for example, which may be referred to as a front-end. IoT systems may include gateways to other networks, which may be referred to as a back-end. IoT systems typically perform: 1) data collection from the front-end (e.g., sensors or end devices) to the back-end (e.g., gateways or networks); 2) data storage at the back-end (e.g., networks or gateways); 3) data processing at the back-end (e.g., networks or gateways); and 4) data querying from users or applications. The overall performance of an IoT system may be impacted by how data, such as sensory data for example, is handled during data collection, data storage, data processing, and data querying.
Data aggregation in an IoT system refers generally to collecting data such that the data can be processed in a useful manner. Existing approaches to data aggregation in IoT systems, such as a system including a network of sensors for example, often focus on network logical topology and data transmission scheduling and routing schemes.